Separable fastener



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,664

F. s. CARR SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Jan. 16, 1926 I nvenio Red 8. Cars",

Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED S, CARR, F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 CARR FASTENEB COM-PANY, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SEPARABIIE FASTENER.

Application filed January 16, 1926. Serial No. 81,862.

This invention aims to provide improvements in separable fasteners.

The claims of this ap lication are generic to my copending app icationSerial No. 11,691, filed February 26th, 1925, in which I intend to claimonly a specific embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of my inventionFigure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a carpet showing the underlyingfastening means in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 includes bottom, side and top eleva- 1 tions of the preferredform of socket.

Fig. 4 is a plan section on the linedl of Fig, 2, showing the stud inelevation and showing a somewhat exaggerated view of the socket expandedas a whole during engagement with or disengagement from the stud;

and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section showing the socket secured to a flexiblesupport by the use of an annular attaching plate which receives andclinches the attaching prongs.

The socket casing illustrated. by the drawings is preferably pressedfrom a single piece of metal in the form of an annulus of substantiallyU-shaped cross-section having an an inner wall or flange 1 surrounding astud-receiving aperture 2, an outer continuous wall or flange 3 and aweb portion 4 connecting the flanges at the bottom. The casing is slitin three places, as shown in Fig. 3, by T-shaped 3.5 cuts 5 extendingacross the inner wall and the web 3, branching outwardly in the webparallel with and between the flanges 1 and 3 to form the top of the T.The number of cuts 5 may be varied without affecting the result an ofproviding between the cuts resilient neckengaging fingers adapted to bespread laterally to permit entrance of the head of a stud through theaperture 2 but not flexible to any appreciable extent.

The cuts extend substantially to the outer flange 3 and provide in theflange 3 adj accnt the tops of the Ts flexible portions 6 between theouter ends of the fingers. These portions 6 may flex toward the centerof the casing dureu ing engagement and disengagement of the stud andsocket. It will be readily understood from the above description thatthe casing as a whole is contractible and expansible transverse to theaxis therebf. As the head of the stud spreads the portions between thecuts 5, outwardly from the center of the socket, the portions 6 of thewall or outer flange 3 flex inwardly thereby permitting enlaigement ofthe stud-receiving aperture an passage of the head therethrough as shownin Fig. 1. I

The casing may be secured to a flexible support in any suitable manner,but for purposes of describing the invention it has been shown, in Figs.1 and 2, as secured to a carpet 7 by a plurality of attaching prongs 8These prongs arise from the upper periphery of the flange 3 preferablybetween the T slits 5 and adjacent to the ends of the top portion of theT. The prongs 8 pierce the carpet from the under side thereof passinthrough the warp and weft threads and are then bent downwardly andconcealed by the pile, the upper edge of the flange 3 being seateddirectly against the web of the carpet (Fig. 2).

During expansion and contraction of the socket cas ng, the prongs arepermitted to move with the flange 3 as the movement is so slight that itis not interfered with by the carpet because of the flexibility of thewarp and weft threads.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown a. stud having a relativelyflat head 9 so as not-to form a bunch in the carpet above the socket, aneck 10 for engagement with the inner wall or flange 1 and a base 11.The stud is secured to a wooden floor 12 by an attaching screw 13assembled with the stud. This stud may be of any suitable shape and maybe secured to any suitable support in any manner, depending upon whatthe fasten er is to be used for.

Another use of the socket is shown in Fig. 5, it being secured to aflexible'fabric, leather or like medium 14: by the use of an attachingplate 15 of any-suitable design. In this instance, I have shown thecasing secured to the support 14' by forcing the attaching prongs 8through the medium 14: so that they engage and are clenched by theattaching plate 15. The prongs first strike the anvil portion 16 ofthe'plate 15 and are curved outwardly and downwardly against theinwardly bent annular flange portion 17, thereby gripping the medium 1 1between the plate 15 and the upper periphery of the flange 3 as theflange 17 and the prongs 8 so as to permit the prongs to flex with thecasing when engagin and disengaging a stud.

ile I have shown and described two preferred embodiments of m invention,itwill be understood that I have one so for purposes of clarificationrather than limitation, the invention being best defined in thefollowing claims.

Claims:

1. A fastener socket having a laterally yieldable wall adapted to restdirectly on and e secured to a socket-carrying support at the same sidefrom which the stud enters and continuing as an inbent extension, saidinbent extension being severed by a plurality of cuts extendingsubstantially to said wall whereby to provide stud-engaging jaws whichmove laterally with said wall.

2. A fastener socket comprising an annulus of channel section severedacross the inner flange and web by a plurality of cuts extendingsubstantially to the outer flange and a plurality of attaching prongsrising directly from said outer-flange for securing said socket to thatside of a support from which the stud enters.

3. A fastener socket comprising a plurality of generally curvedstud-engaging portions surrounding a stud-receiving aperture, and acontinuous resilient wall connecting said stud-engaging portions attheir outer ends, said wall being expansible and contractible laterallyto permit engagement and disengagement of said socket with a stud.

4. A fastener socket comprising a casing providing a stud-receivingaperture having a surrounding upwardly pro ecting stud-engaging wall forresilient engagement with a stud, a continuous peripheral wallsurrounding said stud-engaging wall and a plurality of prongs extendingupwardly from said peripheral wall to secure said socket to a suitablesupport.

5. A carpet fastener socket comprising a one-piece casing substantiallyU-shaped in cross-section and providing a stud-receiving aperturesurrounded by an expansible and contractible stud-engaging Wall and aplurality of attaching prongs extending upwardly from an upstandingcontinuous wall at the outer periphery of said casing, said prongshooked over the warp and weft threads of a carpet and concealed by thepile thereof.

6. A fastener socket pressed from a single piece of metal and having anupstanding laterally yieldable peripheral wall portion presenting aplurality of stud-engaging portions surrounding a stud-receivingaperture, said stud-engaging portions being substantially rigid butbeing adapted to shift laterally with said peripheral wall to permitentrance of the head of a stud therebetween, the portions of saidupstanding wall between said studing peripheral wall portion presentinga (plurality of stud-engaging portions surroun ing a stud-receivingaperture, said stud-engaging portions adapted to shift laterally topermit entrance of the head of a stud therebetween, the portions of saidupstanding wall between said stud-engaging portions adapted to flexinwardly during entrance of the head of the stud in said socket, therebyto permit lateral shifting of said-stud-engaging portions, and aplurality of attaching prongs extending upwardly from said wall forsecuring said socket to a carpet.

8. A one-piece carpet fastener socket having an upstanding peripheralwall presenting at its lower periphery a plurality of inwardly extendingstud-engaging fingers adapted to be expanded in a substantially lateralplane by engagement with a stud and a plurality of attaching prongsextending upwardly from the upper periphery of said wall for securingsaid socket to a support.

9. A fastener socket including a plurality of stud-engaging fingerspresenting at their inner ends generally curved neck-engaging jawportions surrounding a stud-receiving aperture and secured together byan upstanding peripheral Wall having portions thereof between said jawportions adapted to flex inwardly to permit said jaw portions to spreadthereby to enlarge the stud-receiving aperture for the head of a stud topass therethrough.

10. A fastener socket having a plurality of shift-able stud-engagingportions secured together at their outer ends by a continuous upstandingwall, said wall presenting resilient portions of substantial lengthbetween the outer ends of the stud-engaging portions which permit saidstud-engaging portions to shift when the head of a stud'is passedtherebetween.

11. A fastener socket comprising an annulus of channel-shapedcross-section severed across the inner flange by a plurality of cuts toprovide a plurality of resilient stud-engag ing portions, the cutsextending into the web and substantially to the outer flange to providefor flexing of said outer flange during engagement and disengagement ofsaid socket with a stud and means for securing said socket to a support.

12. A fastener socket comprising an annulus of channel-shapedcross-section severed across the inner flange by a plurality of cuts toprovide a plurality of resilient stud-engaging portions the cutsextending into the web and exten ing generally parallel with the innerand outer flanges to provide T-shaped slots for permitting lateralexpansion and contraction of the socket as a whole when engaging anddisengaging a stud.

13. A fastener socket comprising an annulus of channel-shapedcross-section severed across the inner flange by a plurality of cuts toprovide a plurality of resilient stud-engaging portions, the cutsextending into the web and extending generally parallel with the innerand outer flanges to provide T-shaped slots for permitting lateralexpansion and contraction of the socket as a whole when engaging anddisengaging a stud and a plurality of attaching prongs extendingupwardly from the outer flange and located between the slots.

14. A one-piece fastener socket comprising a one-piece casing having acontinuous outer peripheral wall presenting at the bottom edge thereof aplurality of inwardly and upwardly extending stud-engaging portionssurrounding a stud-receiving aperture for engagement with a cooperatingstud by generally lateral expansion and contraction of said outerperipheral wall and a plurality of prongs at the upper edge of said wallfor securing said socket to a flexible carrying medium, said prongsbeing shiftable with said outer pcripheral wall.

15. A fastener socket comprising a continuous casing U-shaped incross-section and providing an outer upstanding wall and an inner walljoined together at their bottom edges by a web, said inner wall and webdivided by cuts extending to said outer wall to provide said outer wallwith flexible portions of substantial width at the ends of said cuts topermit expansion and contraction of said casing in a plane transverse tothe axis of the casing.

16. A fastener socket comprising aringlike casing U-shaped incross-section and providing inner and outer circular upstanding wallsjoined together at their bottom edges by a web, said inner wall and webdivided.

by T-shaped cuts extending to said outer wall to provide said outer wallwith flexible portions of substantial width at the ends of said cuts topermit expansion and contraction of said casing in a plane transverse tothe axis of the casmg, and attaching prongs extending upwardly from saidcasing and adapted to shift therewith.

' 17. A fastener socket comprising a casing having an upstandinglaterally yieldable wall, a plurality of fingers extending inwardly fromsaid wall and terminating about a stud-receiving aperture, said fingersbeing adapted to yield laterally with said wall, and the inner ends ofsaid jaws being substantially closer together circumferentially thantheir outer ends where they join the wall, thereby to provide greaterresiliency to said wall.

18. A fastener socket comprising a casing having an upstanding laterallyyieldable wall, a plurality of fingers extending inwardly from said walland terminating about a stud-receiving aperture, said fingers beingadapted to yield laterally with said wall, and the inner ends of saidjaws being substantially closer together circumferentially than theirouter ends where they join the wall, thereby to provide greaterresiliency to said wall, and a plurality of attaching prongs extendingupwardly from said casing.

19. A one piece carpet fastener socket. comprising an annulus ofsubstantially U-shaped cross-section, the outer wall of the annulusbeing continuous and the inner portion of the annulus surrounding astud-receiving a erture and being divided by a plurality 0 rardial cutsseparating the inner portion and bottom portion of the annulus into anumber of stud-engaging portions adapted to move laterally to permitenlargement of the stud-receiving aperture. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED S. CARR.

